KNYSNA ERF 11022 - vreken.co.za§ The subdivision of Erf 11022, Knysna into nine Group Housing zoned erven in terms of Section 24 of the Land Use Planning Ordinance, 1985 (Ordinance

KNYSNA ERF 11022 APPLICATION FOR

REZONING, SUBDIVISION & DEPARTURE

CLIENT: STAND 3152 KNYSNA PROP CC PREPARED BY: MARIKE VREKEN TOWN & REGIONAL PLANNERS

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REZONING, SUBDIVISION & DEPARTURE: KNYSNA ERF 11022

MARCH 2011 i

(i) CONTENTS (ii) LIST OF ANNEXURES (iii) LIST OF PLANS (iv) LIST OF FIGURES

(i) CONTENTS

SECTION A: BACKGROUND PAGE

1. THE APPLICATION ..................................................................................................... 1 2. PROPERTY DESCRIPTION, EXTENT AND OWNERSHIP ........................................... 1

SECTION B: CONTEXTUAL INFORMANTS

3. LOCALITY .................................................................................................................... 2 4. CURRENT LAND USE & ZONING................................................................................ 2

4.1 Land Use ........................................................................................................... 2 4.2 Zoning ............................................................................................................... 3

5. SURROUNDING LAND USE AND CHARACTER OF THE AREA A ............................... 3 6. SITE CHARACTERISTICS ........................................................................................... 3

SECTION C: FORWARD PLANNING

7. SPATIAL PLANNING GUIDELINES ............................................................................ 4

7.1 Knysna-Wilderness, Plettenberg Regional Structure Plan, 1983 ............................. 4 7.2 Western Cape Provincial Spatial Development Framework, April 2009 ................... 5 7.3 Knysna Spatial Development Framework, November 2008 .................................... 6 7.4 Garden Route Biodiversity Sector Plan for George Knysna & Plettenberg Bay ........ 7

8. PROPOSAL .................................................................................................................. 8

8.1 Subdivision ........................................................................................................ 9 8.2 Rezoning ............................................................................................................ 9 8.3 Private Open Space ............................................................................................ 9

SECTION D: DEVELOPMENT PROPOSAL


MARCH 2011 ii

8.4 Departure .......................................................................................................... 9 8.5 Access and Parking ............................................................................................. 10

9. ENGINEERING SERVICES .......................................................................................... 10

9.1 Electrical Services ............................................................................................... 10 9.2 Civil Services ...................................................................................................... 11

9.2.1 Potable Water ............................................................................................. 11 9.2.2 Sewerage .................................................................................................... 11 9.2.3 Storm Water................................................................................................ 11 9.2.4 Solid Waste ................................................................................................. 11 9.2.5 Conclusion .................................................................................................. 12

9.3 Traffic Impact .................................................................................................... 12

SECTION D MOTIVATION

10. MOTIVATION .............................................................................................................. 12

10.1 Consistency with Spatial Policy Directives ............................................................ 13 10.2 Previous Consolidation ........................................................................................ 15 10.3 Consistency of the Proposed Land Use with the Character of the Surrounding Area 13 10.4 Accessibility and Locality of the Area ................................................................... 13 10.5 Parking Provision ................................................................................................ 13 10.6 No Impact on Existing Rights .............................................................................. 13 10.7 Densification and Intensification .......................................................................... 14 10.8 Maintenance Cost of Large Single Residential Erven ............................................. 14 10.9 Conservation of the Natural and Built Environment .............................................. 14 10.10 Potential of the Property ..................................................................................... 14 10.11 Visual Impact ..................................................................................................... 15 10.12 Availability of Services ........................................................................................ 15 10.13 Knysna Zoning Scheme Regulations ............................................................. 15

11. ASSESSMENT OF APPLICATIONS.............................................................................. 15 12. CONCULSION.............................................................................................................. 16

(ii) ANNEXURES

ANNEXURE A: Company Resolution & Power of Attorney

ANNEXURE B: Application Forms

ANNEXURE C: Title Deed

ANNEXURE D: S G Diagram

ANNEXURE E: Electrical Services Report

ANNEXURE F: Civil services report


MARCH 2011 iii

ANNEXURE G: Traffic Impact Assessment

(iii) LIST OF PLANS

PLAN 1: Locality Plan

PLAN 2: Land Use Plan

PLAN 3: Zoning Plan

PLAN 4: Site Development Plan

PLAN 5: Subdivision Plan

(iii) LIST OF FIGURES

FIGURE 1: Entrance to Erf 11022

FIGURE 2: Example of Blackwattle on site

FIGURE 3: Southern view of the Heads

FIGURE 4: Eastern view of White Location

FIGURE 5: Illegal Dumping found on site

FIGURE 6: Existing derelict Reservoir and Epilepsy centre

FIGURE 7: Extract from the Knysna SDF

FIGURE 8: Extract from the GRI Mapping

FIGURE 9: Proposed Group Housing Development


MARCH 2011 PAGE 1 OF 16

SECTION A: BACKGROUND

1. THE APPLICATION Marike Vreken Town and Regional Planners CC has been appointed by STAND 3152 Knysna Prop CC (refer Annexure A for company resolution and power of attorney) to prepare and submit the required application documentation for the rezoning and subdivision of Erf 11022, Knysna in order to obtain development rights for a medium density residential development. Application is hereby made for: § The rezoning of Erf 11022, Knysna from Single Residential Zone to Subdivisional Area for

a group housing development in terms of Section 17 of the Land Use Planning Ordinance, 1985 (Ordinance 15 of 1985),

§ The subdivision of Erf 11022, Knysna into nine Group Housing zoned erven in terms of

Section 24 of the Land Use Planning Ordinance, 1985 (Ordinance 15 of 1985), and § The establishment of a Home Owners’ Association in terms of Section 29 of the Land Use

Planning Ordinance, 1985 (Ordinance 15 of 1985).

§ A departure from the development parameters for Group Housing zoned properties as prescribed in the Knysna Zoning Scheme Regulations, in terms of Section 15(1)(a)(i) of the Land Use Planning Ordinance, 1985 (Ordinance 15 of 1985).

The completed application forms are attached as Annexure B to this report. 2. PROPERTY DESCRIPTION, EXTENT AND OWNERSHIP Erf 11022, Knysna (hereafter referred to as "application area") was created from the consolidation of erven 3152 and 8591. It appears that this consolidation has not been registered in the Deeds office yet. The consolidated property is approximately 3131m2 in extent. The detail these erven are summarized as follows: Copies of the Title Deeds for erven 3152 and 8591, containing the details outlined below are contained in Annexure C. The S.G. Diagram for Erf 11022 is attached as Annexure D. Title Deed Description: Erf 3152, KNYSNA, in the Municipality and Division of

Knysna, Western Cape Province. Erf 8591 (a portion of ERF 3152) KNYSNA in the

Municipality and Division of Knysna, Province of the Western Cape

Title Deed Number: Erf 3152: T 354/96 Erf 8591: T 42794/97



Title Deed Restrictions: There are no conditions that restrict this proposed development.

Bonds: A bond is registered against this property. An application

for the bond holder’s written permission was lodged and the financial institution’s written consent will be provided in due course.

Property Size: Erf 3152: 3131 (THREE THOUSAND ONE HUNDRED

AND THIRTY ONE) Square Meters Erf 8591: 1629 (ONE THOUSAND SIX HUNDRED AND

TWENTY NINE) Square Meters The consolidated property is 3131m² in extent Property Owner: STAND 3152 Knysna Prop CC Servitudes: A right of way Servitude is registered over the

southwestern corner of the property. This servitude is shown on the S.G. Diagram of the property.

3. LOCALITY (refer Plan 1) The application area is located north of the Central Business District of Knysna in the Telfin Heights neighbourhood. The application area has primary access from League Street, approximately 8m wide. Knysna Lagoon is situated south of the site and the Knysna Epilepsy centre is located to the north. 4. CURRENT LAND USE AND ZONING 4.1 Land use (refer Plan 2) Erf 11022 is currently vacant and is over run by alien vegetation, such as Blackwattle trees. Figures 1 and 2 below illustrate the entrance to the site and examples of Blackwattle on the site.

SECTION B CONTEXTUAL INFORMANTS



FIGURE 1: ENTRANCE TO ERF 11022

FIGURE 2: EXAMPLE OF BLACKWATTLE ON SITE

4.2 Zoning (refer Plan 3) The application area is currently zoned as Single Residential in terms of the relevant Knysna Zoning Scheme Regulations. 5. SURROUNDING LAND USE AND CHARACTER OF THE AREA

The application area is located within an area that is mainly characterised by single residential erven as well as group housing developments, such as town houses. 6. SITE CHARACTERISTICS The property is located between the 92m contour line along the northern boundary and the 78m MSL contour line along the southern boundary, thus the gradient being 1:4. The application area slopes gradually to the south. Ground conditions expected to be consisting of loose to medium dense gravel and sandy material. The site is characterized by pre-cut plateaus. As mentioned before the entire site is characterized by dense alien vegetation, mainly Blackwattle. This is mainly due to the lack of activity on the site, as alien vegetation is not the only issue facing Erf 11022. The site is also used for dumping as seen in figure 5. Figure 6 also shows the existing derelict dam found on at the northern boundary of the property. Due to the location and slope of the site, Erf 11022 has beautiful views of the Heads in the south, as well as a view of White Location to the east (refer to figures 3 & 4).



FIGURE 3: SOUTHERN VIEW OF THE HEADS FIGURE 4: EASTERN VIEW OF WHITE LOCATION

FIGURE 5: ILLEGAL DUMPING FOUND ON SITE

FIGURE 6: EXISTING DERELICT RESERVOIR AND EPILEPSY CENTRE

SECTION C FORWARD PLANNING

7. SPATIAL PLANNING GUIDELINES

7.1 Knysna – Wilderness, Plettenberg Regional Structure Plan, 1983 The abovementioned document was approved as a Guide Plan by the (then) Minister of Constitutional Development and Planning on 21 September 1982 with a view to provide guidelines for the future spatial development of the Garden Route region. On 9 February 1996 the (then) Deputy-Minister of Land Affairs declared that the “Guide Plan” should be deemed as a Regional Structure Plan.



This Structure Plan identifies the application area as township development. The proposed development can therefore be considered as being consistent with this policy document and constitutes an appropriate form of township development within the Sedgefield urban boundary. 7.2 Western Cape Provincial Spatial Development Framework, April 2009 The Provincial Government of the Western Cape has recently approved the Western Cape Spatial Development Framework as a statutory structure plan in terms of the Land Use Planning Ordinance. The WCPSDF in general lays down broad policy, except on matters of provincial or regional interest which may be addressed in more detail. Where necessary and attainable, relevant policies contained in the PSDF will be mandatory in terms of legislation. Mandatory measures refer to policies that are regarded as being of sufficient social, economic or environmental importance as to demand that every effort possible should be made to effectively implement them as policies – and of which the implementation is directly-attainable. Guidelines refer to policies that are intended as general developmental goals, and of which the detailed implementation may vary due to place specific conditions and would therefore require a certain amount of flexibility and/or administrative organisation in their application. The policy proposals in the Provincial Spatial Development Framework (PSDF) relate mainly to:

§ Human Resource (HR): Socio-economic Development

§ Urban Restructuring (UR): Urban Restructuring and Regional Linkages

§ Natural Environment (RC): Protect biodiversity and agricultural resources & Minimise the consumption of scarce environmental resources

Some of the proposals in this policy document that will inform any development proposal on the subject property include:

(i) The Average Gross Residential Density in urban settlements experiencing urban growth must be encouraged to increase to 25 dwellings / hectare before further extensions to the Urban Edge are considered. Densification should only occur in strategic parts of urban settlements such as along major routes, around open spaces, on well located land or in underdeveloped areas with good location that warrant increased development; The density target should be achieved using a range of urban development tools including:

Ø Demolition and redevelopment

Ø Infill of surplus vacant land including brownfield sites

Ø Greenfield locations within the urban edge as long as they have not been identified as biodiversity priority, priority open space, productive agricultural or recreational sites, and

Ø Subdivision, second dwelling and sectional title development as appropriate



(ii) All residential developments undertaken by the private sector (public or private land) above a certain threshold should provide 20% or more inclusionary housing opportunities and should include land/or financial contribution towards social costs on the same legal basis as is currently valid towards infrastructural costs. The WCPSDF Explanatory Manual on Inclusionary Housing advises that the Local Planning Authority must decide on what prescriptions to apply on an area by area basis;

(iii) Between Urban Development and Core, Buffer and Intensive Agriculture areas an Interim Urban Edge shall be considered to be in place around all villages, towns and cities in the Province along the edge of actual urban development- to mediate the relationship between these provincial broad spatial planning categories, until a Medium Term Urban Edge has been approved. The Urban Edge has two functions:

Ø To contain the outward growth of urban settlements until such time as average gross densities of 25 units per hectare are achieved;

Ø To protect land designated core, buffer and intensive agriculture from urban development where required;

(iv) Only land within an ‘Urban edge’ may be used for Urban Development purposes and urban development shall be defined as buildings and infrastructure with a residential purpose.

(v) Densification must take place in central urban nodes such as the Central Business District.

Given the philosophy of the design concept and the fact that the application area is included in the urban edge for Knysna, it could be argued that the proposal is consistent with the adopted Western Cape Provincial SDF. 7.3 Knysna Spatial Development Framework, November 2008 (refer to Figure 8) During November 2008 the draft Knysna SDF was adopted by the Knysna Council, however, it has not yet been formally endorsed by the Provincial Government. This SDF is also based on the Bioregional Planning Principles and the application area is included into the draft “urban edge” and therefore appropriate for urban infill or township development purposes. There is no earmarked land-use designation for this site and therefore the development proposal is considered to be consistent with this policy document. The Knysna SDF identified Grey Street as a significant corridor linking the Knysna CBD with the northern areas. It is recommended that land uses along this identified corridor should be intensified. The application area is in close proximity to this corridor, hence the proposed densification is regarded as being consistent with the Knysna SDF.



FIGURE 7: EXTRACT FROM THE KNYSNA SDF

7.4 Garden Route Biodiversity Sector Plan for George Knysna & Plettenberg Bay A Biodiversity Sector Plan provides a synthesis of prioritised information to planners and land-use managers, enabling the integration of biodiversity into land-use planning and decision making (LUPDM). It identifies those sites that are critical for conserving biodiversity and in this way, facilitates the integration of biodiversity into decision making (i.e. mainstreaming biodiversity). Mainstreaming is crucial to overcoming the "conservation versus development" mindset, and for ensuring sustainable development (National Biodiversity Framework, 2007). SANParks, together with Cape Nature prepared these guidelines to accompany and further explain the Garden Route Critical Biodiversity Areas (CBA) Map for the George, Knysna and Bitou municipalities (Section 3). The CBA map divides the landscape into five categories; namely Protected Areas, Critical Biodiversity Areas, Ecological Support Areas, Other Natural Areas and No Natural Areas Remaining. The first three mentioned categories represent the biodiversity priority areas which should be maintained in a natural to near natural state. The last two mentioned categories are not considered biodiversity priority areas, and can be targeted for sustainable development. As seen in figure 9 below Erf 11022 is located outside any of the identified GRI areas, and could thus be described as in line with ‘No Natural Areas Remaining’ thus be considered for sustainable development.



FIGURE 8: EXTRACT FROM THE GRI MAPPING

SECTION D DEVELOPMENT PROPOSAL

8. PROPOSAL

As described in section B (3), the proposed development site is located north of the Central Business District (CBD) of the Knysna Municipality, with primary access from League Street. The proposed development plan includes the construction of nine group housing units. The site is currently zoned as “Single Residential”. These group housing units will have onsite parking facilities and each dwelling will have sufficient space for its own private garden.



FIGURE 9: PROPOSED GROUP HOUSING DEVELOPMENT

8.1 Subdivision (Refer to Plan 4)

An application has to be made in terms of Section 24 of the Land Use Planning Ordinance, 1985 (Ordinance 15 of 1985) for the subdivision of Knysna Erf 11022 into 9 group housing units and private open space. The sizes of the erven vary between 145,651m² to 405,089m².

8.2 Rezoning

Application has to be made in terms of Section 17 of the Land Use Planning Ordinance, 1985 (Ordinance 15 of 1985) for the rezoning of Knysna Erf 11022 from “Single Residential Zone” to “Subdivisional area” for the purposes of a group housing development.

8.3 Private Open Space The Knysna Zoning Scheme prescribes that 80m² per unit of open private space needs to be provided. As there are 9 units the need spaces is 720m², however 1080m² is provided. 8.4 Departure

The Knysna Zoning Scheme requires that each unit have a have coverage of 50% on there erven, however due to the unique rectangular shape of Erf 11022, development potential is limited. Due to the limited development potential it isn’t possible to provide coverage of 50%. This is only applicable to 6 of the 9 erven. Departures in terms of Section 15(1)(a)(i) of the Land



Use Planning Ordinance, 1985 (Ordinance 15 of 1985), to allow the departure from the buildable coverage of 50% for the following is required:

(i) Unit 1 64% coverage.

(ii) Unit 2 67% coverage

(iii) Unit 3 65% coverage

(iv) Unit 4 61% coverage

(v) Unit 5 63% coverage

(vi) Unit 6 68% coverage

8.5 Access and Parking Access will be provided to Erf 11022 from League Street. Access to group housing units will be provided via a private cul de sac access road that will be maintained by the Home Owners Association. The Site Development Plan shows that each group housing unit will have a garage that will accommodate two paring bays. 9. ENGINEERING SERVICES

9.1 Electrical Services Clinkscales Maughan-Brown consulting Mechanical and Electrical Engineers investigated the availability of bulk electrical capacity for the proposed grouping housing development. A copy of the electrical services report is attached as Annexure E to this report. This Electrical Services report concluded that:

(i) It is proposed that the connection point to the existing electrical network be the LV busbars in miniature substation, MS League street. A new LV Bulk Metering Kiosk will be installed at the entrance of the development;

(ii) The Home Owners Association for the residential erven will have to enter into a supply agreement with the Municipality for the bulk supply, be responsible for the operation and maintenance of the reticulation and area lighting installation downstream from the Point of Supply and will be responsible to appoint a “Competent Person” in terms of the Occupational Health and Safety Act where necessary;

(iii) No switching of supplies or trenching adjacent to existing cables will be carried out without prior arrangement with the Town Electrical Engineer’s Department. The Electrical Contractor will also liaise with the Town Engineer’s Department and Telkom to ensure that no damage is caused to existing underground piped services during construction.

(iv) The Notified Demand at the supply point has been calculated at, 9 erven @13.8kVA (60 Amps, single phase) x 0,7 Diversity Factor = 87kVA. Take note that this is a provisional calculation and will be finalised after all the network load particulars have been concluded.



9.2 Civil Services Sintec Consulting Engineers were appointed to investigate the availability of bulk civil services to serve the proposed group housing development. A copy of the Civil services report is attached as Annexure F to this report. This Civil Services report concluded the following:

9.2.1 Potable Water

(i) The expected average daily demand (AAD) per Erf is estimated at 1200 l/d (total of 10 800 l/d for all 9 erven).

(ii) The storage demand for the proposed development is 81.6 kilolitres (kl) consisting of domestic demand (21.6 kl) and fire fighting demand (60 kl).

(iii) A reservoir storage should be provided for 2 days supply @ AADD plus water for fire fighting purposes.

(iv) Based on Municipal records (refer to Annex B), the existing water supply is located along the western side of the property by means of a 75 mm Ø fibre cement (FC) pipes. This water main supplies adjacent properties including League Street. The origin of the supply, determined from Municipal records, originates at the old water works reservoir (125.0 m). It is estimated that the pressure at the highest point on the erf, 95 meters above mean sea level will be 3 bars. This pressure is sufficient and meets the minimum required pressure of 2.4 bars.

9.2.2 Sewerage The Municipal records show that the existing sewer reticulation originates at the corner of the western and southern border of the erf. The capacity of the sewer line and capability of dealing with the additional demand should be determined before any construction commences. 9.2.3 Storm Water

The excess storm water runoff generated by the proposed development was calculated from these calculations. The excess runoff is estimated at 25.8l/s. As mentioned above the additional run-off generated by the proposed development is 25.8 l/s. This is double the current run-off for the erf. The storm water if concentrated may result in soil erosion down the embankment. The proposed solution to deal with the storm water run-off is to construct three reno mattresses along the western border of the erf. The runoff generated by the hard surfaces including the roadways should be directed and collected by the reno mattresses. These reno mattresses will break the energy of the flow and distribute the water evenly down the embankment. 9.2.4 Solid Waste

The amount of solid waste generated by the proposed development is estimated to be approximately 1.08 m³ per week.



9.2.5 Conclusion The Civil Services report concluded that it is technically possible to provide an acceptable level of service to the proposed new group housing development.

9.3 Traffic Impact ITS Engineers were appointed to investigate the traffic impact of the proposed group housing development. A copy of the Traffic Impact Assessment is attached as Annexure G to this report. ITS assessed the cumulative impact of densification of the upper League Street area, thus the TIA concluded the following: Based on the evaluation of the traffic study was done by ITS the proposed development will have an insignificant impact on the traffic operations of the road network surrounding the proposed development during the typical weekday peak hours. Special attention was given to the width of League Street that provides access to the proposed development. The roadway width was found to be adequate to provide access to the development. No significant increase in traffic volumes on League Street due to the proposed development is anticipated that will cause operational and safety problems. It is believed by ITS Engineers that League Street has sufficient spare capacity to accommodate future development of the other developable properties.

SECTION D: MOTIVATION

10. MOTIVATION The Land Use Planning Ordinance, 1985 (Ordinance 15 of 1985) states in Section 36 that the reasons for refusing an application may only be considered on the basis of the “lack of desirability” of the proposed land use. The following points must be taken into account when evaluating the desirability of this application: 10.1 Consistency with Spatial Policy Directives As indicated in Par 7 of this report, the proposed group housing development is consistent with the recommendations of the applicable spatial planning document and in particular with the Knysna Spatial Development Framework.



10.2 Previous Consolidation It is important to note that Erf 11022 was formed in 2005 by the consolidation of the then erven 3152 and 8591. Should these two erven be in existence today, and with the Council’s policy to permit second dwelling units, this application area could have had a total of four dwelling units. Four dwelling units might almost be half of the proposed nine units; however 3152 and 8591 separately would have been a waste of precious space in such the Knysna Basin, which is very limited to space. 10.3 Consistency of the Proposed Land Use with the Character of the Surrounding

Area The use of the application area for a medium density group housing development will be consistent with the variety of land uses in the immediate surrounds. It should be noted that the Knysna Council approved the development of high density residential units on the eastern abutting property, Erf 13555. There is an existing group housing development on Erf 3143 (Hillcrest) and the Knysna Epilepsy centre located to the north of the site. further to this, the Pledge Nature Reserve is located walking distance from the application area. Therefore the proposed group housing development will fit in with the character of the area and will not impact on the character of the area. 10.4 Accessibility and Locality of the Area As mentioned in Par 9, ITS Engineers has done a traffic impact statement, the TIA concluded that the site will not have a negative impact on the surrounding erven or traffic. Take note that the TIA accessed the cumulative impact of densification of the whole upper League Street area and not only this site in isolation. Furthermore access to Erf 11022 is only possible from League Street. One access makes the site more secure and increase the manageability of the terrain. Erf 11022 is also closely located to the Knysna CBD. The Knysna Main Road is approximate 500m form Erf 11022, whereas 2km is identified as the comfort limit which people are willing to walk. This clearly shows that the site is not only very accessible, but stimulates pedestrian movement in Knysna CBD. Locality of the site is ideal for residential densification since it is walking distance from Knysna CBD and the Pledge Nature Reserve. 10.5 Parking Provision As seen in Plan 4 parking provision complies with the Knysna Zoning Scheme regulations as two parking bays are provided for each group housing unit. 10.6 No Impact on Existing Rights Given the fact that the proposal is consistent with spatial planning policy, and the small scale of the “development” on the property, it is the considered opinion that the proposed group housing development will not impact on any of the existing land use rights.



10.7 Densification and Intensification The Draft Provincial Spatial Development Framework promotes the densification of urban areas. The benefits of densification, includes, amongst others,

• Optimal utilization of infrastructure • Containing of urban sprawl • More people would be able to stay close to their places of employment • Reduce intrusion into environmentally sensitive and agricultural areas

Densification can be achieved by:

• Demolition and redevelopment • Infill of surplus vacant land including brownfield sites • Greenfield locations within the urban edge as long as it have not been

identified as biodiversity priority and / or open space sites, productive agriculture and recreational sites

• Subdivision, second dwellings and sectional title development as appropriate

10.8 Maintenance Cost of Large Single Residential Erven It is a given fact that the maintenance cost of large single residential erven has been, in many instances, a great financial burden for the property owner. In many cases, it has resulted in the deterioration of built structures and of the garden area. 10.9 Conservation of the Natural and Built Environment Erf 11022 is vacant and unused, however due to previous earthworks carried out on the site, the end result the formation of two terraces. These two terraces create two plateaus on which can be built without harming the landscape any further. Furthermore, as mentioned and shown in Par 6 the site is overrun by alien vegetation such as Blackwattle. Par 6 also indicates that Erf 11022 being used as a dumping site for rubbish. Given the fact that the proposed activities will only be taking place on existing disturbed areas, the proposal will have no negative impact on the biophysical environment. It should also be noted that the creation of the proposed development will result in the removal of Blackwattle from the site and result in the prevention of people dumping on Erf 11022. 10.10 Potential of the Property Given the fact that Erf 11022 is located within the Knysna Basin and near the CBD, limited vacant property is available. Due to Knysna’s physical constraints as a town, there is very limited space in the Knysna Basin for normal urban expansion. Development on Erf 11022 will not only result in densification, but also lead to an increase in pedestrian movement as a result to the property’s location to the CBD. This is beneficial to the business community due to an increase in foot movement passed shop, but will also lead to the increase of the community as there are more pedestrian movement in the streets. The proposed group housing development will be an ideal use to maximise the usage of the two terraces on site as well as improve infill development in the area.



10.11 Visual Impact As mentioned in Par 6 Erf 11022 is located on a prominent ridge line which is screened by existing vegetation. Furthermore topography and urban elements prevent any visual line to the site from low lying areas such as lower town, main road or the Waterfront, take note that the epilepsy centre is located on higher lying area. However the site is visible from high lying areas such as White Location, located on the eastern ridge line. Erf 11022 is located in an existing urban fabric where land is needed to infill development in the Knysna Basin. Thus the development will be seen from certain locations in town; however it will not be seen from prominent tourism locations such as the CBD. The three northern units will have to be double storey due to the topography and limited development space. 10.12 Availability of Services Sufficient services are available as described in Par 9. 10.13 Knysna Zoning Scheme Regulations The following table illustrates the prescribed development parameters for a Group Housing zoned property according to the Knysna Zoning Scheme Regulations and also compare the compliance of the proposed development with these parameters:

DEVELOPMENT

PARAMETERS KNYSNA ZONING SCHEME

REGULATIONS PROPOSED DEVELOPMENT ON

ERF 11022

Coverage At most 50% DEPARTURE: 67%

Height 8m above natural ground level

Maximum of 2 storeys

COMPLY: application is made for 1 & 2 storey units.

Building lines Street building line, lateral building

line and rear boundary: 0m

COMPLY: comply

Parking 2 bays per unit COMPLY: 2 parking bays per unit

Communal Open Space 80m² per unit of communal open space

COMPLY: 1050m²

Private Outdoor Space

at least 40% of the gross floor space of the relevant unit, in the form which does not exceed a ratio of 2.1 (length to width).

COMPLY: each unit has enough private

outdoor space.

From the above table it is clear that the proposal on Erf 11022 partially complies with all the development parameters of a “Group Housing” zone of the Knysna Zoning Scheme Regulations and that only some departures are required to accommodate the proposed land use.



11. ASSESSMENT OF APPLICATIONS Section 36 of the Land Use Planning Ordinance, 1985 (no 15 of 1985) clearly indicates the basis of refusal of any application as follows: § On the basis of a lack of desirability of the contemplated utilization of land concerned, § On the basis of effecting on existing rights, § On the basis of effecting the safety and welfare of members of the community

concerned, § On the basis of effecting the conservation of the natural and developed

environment. It is clear that the proposed rezoning for the proposed development will not in any way have any negative impact on the above mentioned criteria and should there be no valid reason why this proposal could not be supported and subsequently be approved by the Local Authority. 12. CONCLUSION In light of this motivation, it is the considered opinion that the proposed development will achieve a sensitive balance between the natural environment and the built environment that is imperative to ensure sustainable development. It is therefore recommended that the application for the rezoning and subdivision to establish the proposed group house development be supported by the relevant departments and expeditiously approved by the relevant authorities.

MARIKE VREKEN TOWN PLANNERS CC

MARCH 2011

Documents

KNYSNA ERF 11022 - vreken.co.za§ The subdivision of Erf 11022, Knysna into nine Group Housing zoned erven in terms of Section 24 of the Land Use Planning Ordinance, 1985 (Ordinance